Prince Philip’s car crash illustrates how the rest of us pay for the recklessness of the privileged

BBC treats Diane Abbott and other Corbyn allies with contempt. We need to reform the media now

McDonald's must stop breeding chickens so fast that their organs fail

Newspapers are mocking Beautiful Boy, but it is the first film which accurately reflects what I have been through with addiction

If Theresa May calls another election, prepare for a ‘short and sharp’ manifesto

The i newsletter

News for free thinkers

Email address:

Photo Habiba. Habiba Katsha pictured at graduation with a degree in international Media & Communcations.

Anxiety and depression:words that aren’t spoken about much in the black community and words I would have never thought I’d be associating with. The conversation around mental health in my house was pretty much non-existent.

I would describe myself as being someone who is mentally strong but during university I found myself struggling with both anxiety and depression for the first time in my life.

I realise now that being strong doesn’t have a correlation with mental health conditions whatsoever— mental health issues can appear even when you’re at your very strongest in life.

My academic work took the full brunt of my heighten anxiety and depression; I noticed when I started getting bad grades from my work. If I’ll be honest the pressure to succeed broke me.

I remember feeling and wanting to do nothing, that was when I knew there was a problem. I couldn’t find the will to be happy, enjoy things and some days even leave my bed.

‘Still in denial’

Considering I didn’t have much knowledge of what being anxious or having depression was like, I thought the emotions I was dealing with were normal for a university student.

Until I saw a discussion on Twitter about the symptoms of having anxiety and realised that I could relate to a lot of what was said.

Then I visited the mental health clinic at my university and then I was referred to a therapist and attended therapy sessions throughout my last year of studies.

Though I found myself relating to the symptoms I was still in denial about having mental health issues. I didn’t discuss it with anyone because of shame and pride.

‘Some African and Caribbean parents are mostly against the idea of therapy’

Due to the negative way that mental health issues are portrayed, African and Caribbean parents are mostly against the idea of therapy, mostly because of the shame of being seen as weak – which is ironic because I think a lot of them need it. Many black women especially are the backbones of their families, having to work, provide emotional support and take care of their family.

I rarely saw my mother complain, cry or even worry about anything, making it seem that she was superwoman. If it was possible for her to live a life with such peace I thought I’d be able to follow in her footsteps but I was wrong. But I realise now, it’s perfectly normal to admit.

Blackness is often linked with strength, resistance and courage. Our history is filled with countless stories of ancestors and heroes being able to fight against anti-blackness, racism and even sexism.

I don’t dispute the fact that black people have undeniable strength but sometimes even the strongest of people need help. There’s a lot of issues that need to be tackled in our community but how we can we help our community if we aren’t healed?

‘Often the conversations of mental health in the Christian community are negative and place the individual at fault’

For most black individuals, a lot of us have been raised in the church. I’ve always liked to think I’ve been someone who is strong in their faith. I grew up going to church probably two to three times a week.

Not because it was forced upon me but because I genuinely enjoyed it. God had and still has a big presence in my life and has been my spiritual guide from a tender age. Often the conversations of mental health in the Christian community are negative and place the individual at fault.

When someone suffers with a mental health issue, Christians often say things such as “How much time have you spent with God?”, “Did you pray about it?” and “You can’t be Christian and have anxiety or be depressed”.

I tried to “pray it away”, which evidently didn’t work.

Though I’m a firm believer in the power of prayer I think it can be quite dismissive to resort to prayer without asking someone how they feel and how their struggles are impacting their day to day. This sort of thinking made me feel as if I was the issue and that there was something wrong with me.

Documentaries like BBC Three: Being Black, Going Crazy? in 2016 show that attitudes to mental health in the black community are shifting slightly. But there’s more to be done to shatter the stigma.

I hope we can get to a place where people are more transparent about their mental health, especially those with bigger followings. If more people speak about what they are going through it can helps others to know that they are not alone, as I felt.

I am still struggle with anxiety. Although praying, speaking to loved ones about my issues and keeping a track sheet of my thoughts seems to be helping.

f you need information on anxiety and depression or want to talk, you can call the Mind Infoline 0300 123 3383 (9am- 6pm), if you’re in the UK.

Prince Philip’s car crash illustrates how the rest of us pay for the recklessness of the privileged

BBC treats Diane Abbott and other Corbyn allies with contempt. We need to reform the media now

McDonald's must stop breeding chickens so fast that their organs fail

Newspapers are mocking Beautiful Boy, but it is the first film which accurately reflects what I have been through with addiction

If Theresa May calls another election, prepare for a ‘short and sharp’ manifesto

The i's Essential Daily Briefing

We know that sometimes it’s easier for us to come to you with the news. That's why our new email newsletter will deliver a mobile-friendly snapshot of inews.co.uk to your inbox every morning, from Monday to Saturday.

This will feature the stories you need to know, as well as a curated selection of the best reads from across the site. Of course, you can easily opt out at any time, but we're confident that you won't.

Oliver Duff, Editor

By entering your email address and clicking on the sign up button below, you are agreeing to receive the latest daily news, news features and service updates from the i via email. You can unsubscribe at any time and we will not pass on your information.